A Conspiracy of Kings (Queen's Thief, #4)

by Megan Whalen Turner

Discover and rediscover the world of the Queen's Thief, from the acclaimed novel The Thief to the thrilling, twenty-years-in-the-making conclusion, The Return of the Thief. The epic novels set in the world of the Queen's Thief can be read in any order.

New York Times-bestselling author Megan Whalen Turner's entrancing and award-winning Queen's Thief novels bring to life the world of the epics and feature one of the most charismatic and incorrigible characters of fiction, Eugenides the thief. Megan Whalen Turner's Queen's Thief novels are rich with political machinations and intrigue, battles lost and won, dangerous journeys, divine intervention, power, passion, revenge, and deception. The New York Times bestseller A Conspiracy of Kings won the Los Angeles Times Book Award and is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Marie Lu, Patrick Rothfuss, and George R. R. Martin.

After an attempted assassination and kidnapping, Sophos, heir to the throne of Sounis, disappears. Those who care for him--including the thief Eugenides and the Queen of Eddis--are left to wonder if he is alive and if they will ever see him again. The Queen's Thief novels have been praised by writers, critics, reviewers, and fans and have been honored with glowing reviews, "best of" citations, and numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Newbery Honor, the Andre Norton Award shortlist, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award.

This edition of A Conspiracy of Kings includes a conversation between bestselling author Leigh Bardugo and Megan Whalen Turner, an introduction to the characters from the world of the Queen's Thief, a map of the world of the Queen's Thief, and an exclusive teaser to Thick as Thieves.

Winner of the LA Times Book Award

A New York Times Bestseller

A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book

A School Library Journal Best Book

"The Queen's Thief books awe and inspire me. They have the feel of a secret, discovered history of real but forgotten lands. The plot-craft is peerless, the revelations stunning, and the characters flawed, cunning, heartbreaking, exceptional. Megan Whalen Turner's books have a permanent spot on my favorites shelf, with space waiting for more books to come."--Laini Taylor, New York Times-bestselling author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone novels and Strange the Dreamer

Unforgettable characters, plot twists that will make your head spin, a world rendered in elegant detail--you will fall in love with every page of these stories. Megan Whalen Turner writes vivid, immersive, heartbreaking fantasy that will leave you desperate to return to Attolia again and again.--Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom

"Megan Whalen Turner is one of my all-time favorite writers . . . impossible to put down."--Holly Black, award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author of the Modern Faerie Tale series and The Darkest Part of the Forest

"Romance, intrigue, mystery, surprises, and sheer beautiful writing."--Cassandra Clare, award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author of The Mortal Instruments and Lady Midnight

"The world Turner creates is so tangible that not only do I believe in its characters, I almost believe in its gods."--Kristin Cashore, award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author of the Graceling Realm series

"A Conspiracy of Kings brings the sweetest, sharpest kind of reading pleasure. Megan Whalen Turner's books are pure joy."--Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medalist and New York Times-bestselling author of When You Reach Me and Goodbye Stranger

• ISBN10: 0062642995
• ISBN13: 9780062642998
• Publish Date: 28 February 2017 (first published 23 March 2010)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 10 April 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Greenwillow Books
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[nitzan_schwarz]

2014 cleaning my shelves challenge + 2014 series challenge

The only reason this is not a five star is that there is barely any Gen in this book!!
*review will be added once it's published on my personal blog*

[ladygrey]

As always I liked spending time with these characters. The shift between first person and third was interesting, a little jarring at first but then a completely understandable and fun way to handle the narrative.

One of the things I really enjoy about [a:Megan Whalen Turner|22542|Megan Whalen Turner|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1489507023p2/22542.jpg] is that she doesn't explain everything, much like [a:Robin McKinley|5339|Robin McKinley|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1314406026p2/5339.jpg] in her Damar novels. As a reader you have to dig into the subtext and read passages again and again to decipher what they're really saying and the motivations and manipulations going on underneath the surface. I find it incredibly fascinating.

Which is good, because the plot in this one isn't as strong as some of the others. The surprises weren't really surprising and it wasn't as interesting to see Sounis figure out how to be a king as I would normally think it would be (I like those sorts of growing into power stories). I'm sad for Sounis because he never had anyone teach him how to be a king the way his uncle and father should have. And learning from Attolia when you're already king is dangerous because you're weak.

But there were moments I loved. Like when Gen wouldn't be his friend. I knew there was something else going on there because there always is, but when the moment came and I realized he was forcing Sophos to become Sounis - that he couldn't lower himself to be Sophos' friend he had to force him to become a king and then they could be friends as kings - it was brilliant and everything I love about Gen and Turner.

And, as always, I love the light touch of the gods throughout the story. This may not be the most brilliant series of books I've ever read, but it is fascinating which makes it fun for me.